Conversation in Community

B’almah: a project to explore the richness of Jewish traditions—ancient and modern—that moves loss towards the creative renewal of individual, family and community life. Participants explore texts dealing with loss, bringing those texts to their own experiences and testing the tradition’s value as a personal resource. B’almah convenes regular gatherings at various locations in the Raleigh, Durham-Chapel Hill area and will soon be starting in other Jewish communities of the Southeast.

Yit’gadal v-yit’kadash sh’mey rabbah b’almah di v’ra khir’utey…In the face of loss, Jewish tradition offers a statement of life affirming intention: May the great name be magnified and sanctified in the world/b’almah created according to divine will…It is in the world/b’almah that we proceed, declaring our aspiration to live productively in the presence of loss.

Tevunah: a monthly conversation exploring the power of speech in an ancient text tradition that is founded upon “makhloket,” creative disagreement. Primarily, Tevunah participants are Jewish professionals in the fields of organizational development, dispute settlement, conflict resolution, and education who bring their training and experience into conversation with classical sources.

Beyond Belief: an ongoing inquiry into the proposition that “belonging,” not “believing,” is the fundamental feature of Jewish identity. Beyond Belief convenes regular gatherings at various locations in the Raleigh, Durham-Chapel Hill area.

Torah of the Door: an initiative engaging non-Jewish members of the Jewish community in conversations with Jewish traditions identifying classical values and insights that confirm their investment in Jewish family and communal life.

Sicha Shabbaton: a mountain retreat weekend filled with learning in the company of ritual, song, and prayer where participants bring their own lived experience into dialog with Jewish texts that address an annual theme. The Sicha Shabbaton takes place in August at Wildacres Retreat in western NC. The Shabbaton has become a widely known regional resource for building communities of learning throughout the eastern seaboard. More information may be found here.

For more information on our programs or starting a conversation in your community, email us at sichaconversation@gmail.com.

Upcoming Events

God Loves The Right And The GoodJanuary 27, 2019 at 3:30 pm – 5:00 pmShiur/Study